The French Couture Evening was one of the highlights of FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013 where three french couturiers namely, Alexis Mabille, On Aura Tout Vu and Julien Fournié would present their latest collections on the runway. Since the roots of haute couture is in France, I anticipated a spectacular couture fashion show with out of the world designs.

However, the grandiose element wasn’t present in any of the fashion show that evening and I went home feeling rather disappointed. It wasn’t just about the entertainment value of the fashion show but also the setting and lighting of the runway that disappoints me (and some other photographers too). No, it didn’t disappoints me but in fact, it just killed me to know that DSLR wasn’t that sensitive and smart enough to tackle the poor lighting conditions. I maybe an amateur when it comes to photography but I do know that light is a photographer’s ‘best friend’.

Dim lightning may exude a dark, mysterious and romantic feel to the whole staging experience but at the very same time, it may not do any justice to the exhibit the labour-intensive masterpieces of the various fashion designers. Under the sheer darkness, I wasn’t able to capture the minute details such as the embroidery or lace designs of the garments. Worse still, there were some harsh shadows that were casted on the models’ faces, making them look somewhat like faceless souls. Think Lord Veldemort. Perhaps I haven’t quite learnt how to dealt with the dim lighting conditions yet so I wasn’t able to capture great shots. But I’m pretty darn sure that other professional photographers seated around me were all silently cursing under their breath. Hi, where’s that beacon of light?

Alexis Mabille( Fall/Winter 2013 – 2014 Collection)

Alexis Mabille’s pieces were quite dramatic but if it could be even made more va-va-vroom with better lighting and a more upbeat music. Fashionistas may be more particular about the designer’s inspirations and garments but for me, a newcomer to the fashion world and a stage performer, I focused on the full sensory experience for the audience which includes the stage setting, music arrangement, models and even props. A good fashion show isn’t just about the garments, you know? And for those designers who put thoughts into their stage design and arrangement are often the ones who receive the loudest applause and sometimes even a standing ovation from the audience. Why? Simply because they had successfully captured our hearts.

Though there wasn’t any ‘splendicity’ in the show, Alexis Mabille hasn’t fail to show us what French elegance is all about. This 36-year-old Lyon-borned fashion designer is currently based in Paris, France. His namesake Haute couture fashion house, Alexis Mabille is also a member of theFédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode.

I would describe this Fall/Winter 2013 – 2014 collection as both classic and feminine. Using shades of pastels and lighter shades of grey, he has cleverly exuded the ‘soft’ yet ‘elegant’ side of women. There were a lot of lace and embroidery details to his dresses which spells out really ‘Parisien’ to me. C’est très chic!

On Aura Tout Vu
( Fall/Winter 2013)

On Aura Tout Vu spells ‘sci-fi’ fiction to me with their quirky and bold designs which stood out from the other two French couturiers for that evening. It’s a unique play of colours, textures and materials is one of the main characteristics of On Aura Tout Vu’s collection.

This French haute couture label is founded by Bulgarian Couturiers Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov. And this really amiable duo had stunned the crowd with their extravagant, fanciful and one-of-a-kind couture.

You think you’ve seen it all? Wait til you see On Aura Tout Vu’s futuristic pieces on the runway. One of the most stunning pieces on the runway would have to the dress which was made with acrylic clear plastics. Under the spotlight, it did look like the dress was made out of glass. But it was one of the most beautiful pieces of I’ve seen on the FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013’s runway.

What really caught my eye was the skull-head purse which was studded with crystals. Anyone who loves to rock their clothes with such statement accessories would totally scrambled for that glittering skull.

It was a heart-racing ‘sneak’ peek as I sneakily crept to the backstage…

Julien Fournié was filming his own behind-the-scenes footage before his fashion show. It was exactly chaotic backstage but I definitely felt the tense-up atmosphere among the models and crew.

These professional makeup artists were all from MAC cosmetics.

I love how the makeup brushes and cosmetics were displayed on the table. It seems cluttered but yet quite neatly arranged on the table.

We caught up with a model backstage too! And she didn’t mind posing a shot or two for our cameras!

Julien Fournié

This French fashion designer was under the limelight for his fashion show collaboration with Singapore’s popular online blogshop, Love Bonito on FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013. It must be a dream-come true for the duo behind Love Bonito to be working on an exciting project with French couturier, Julien Fournié. So, what’s in store for Julien Fournié’s fashion show for Love Bonito? Perhaps a peak at Julien Fournié’s fashion show for French couture evening would help unravel some part of the mystery.

I’ve seen him around, running in between fashion shows during FIDé Fashion Weeks 2013 in his comfy sneakers. He seems really down to earth and seems rather approachable. Based on his runway show for FIDé Fashion Weeks 2012, I must say that his designs could be unpredictable. Last year, he had the models partied and danced on the runway with his exuberant 60’s-ish retro-inspired clothes but this year, he toned down drastically with his artistic insights, by exploring the elegant and luxurious theme of French beauty.

All I remembered were the several shades of brown and hues of gold with thick coat of faux animal fur and structured designs that has resemblance to Queen Antoinette’s era. It looks grand and pompous with a slight touch of masculinity on the runway. Nothing too fanciful, but the lines and cuts are harsh and clean. This is for the women who enjoys ruling the world with an iron rod. I would shiver in trepidation if my female boss came wearing Julien Fournié’s couture with her black stilettos.